Defense

Installation of backup oxygen system in F-22 combat fleet continues

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s F-22 Division is on-track to complete installation of the Automatic Back-up Oxygen System, or ABOS, in the Air Force’s F-22 Raptor combat fleet by December 2014.

In January 2012, following a series of incidents in which a number of F-22 pilots experienced physiological symptoms in flight, the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board made a list of recommendations to improve the aircrew life support system, including the installation of an automatically-activated backup oxygen system.

The F-22 Division, which had already funded a trade study of design alternatives, took the advisory board’s recommendation as well as more specific requirements from the Air Combat Command-led life support system task force, and developed a strategy to tackle the problem.

Mike Connolly,the ABOS program manager, said the F-22 Division and contractor team moved quickly to address concerns.

“When our team received requirements from ACC, the aircraft user, we put together an action plan within a week,” Connolly said.

“From there, we got approval to move forward, got funded and we executed. From notification to retrofit of the first test aircraft (the process) took six months to complete.”

According to Connolly, the ABOS is a simply designed system that is integrated into the breathing regulator. It has a control panel in the cockpit within the pilot’s reach so that Airmen can manually turn it on if backup oxygen is needed. The system is typically left in the auto position, which will automatically provide the pilot 100 percent oxygen in the event of a rapid decompression or low primary breathing air pressure.

Lansen Conley, the chief of the F-22 Product Support Management Branch, said that as the division finishes installation of the new oxygen system, he is proud of the team effort.

“When our team was notified of the Scientific Advisory Board’s recommendation, the division here and at Hill Air Force Base worked as one team to quickly develop a plan to address the problem,” he said. “That team’s focus on delivering affordable capability and meeting its commitments were critical to maintaining our nation’s war winning combat advantage.”

Local military discounts

News: Carter: Military leaders could arm more troops at home – Following the recent fatal shooting of four Marines and a sailor in Tennessee, Defense Secretary Ash Carter is ordering the military services to consider new policies that would enhance security for troops at home, including potentially arming more personnel. Business: DOD weighs supplier base,...

U.S. delivering eight newer F-16 warplanes to Egypt The United States Embassy in Cairo says the U.S. is delivering eight newer F-16 warplanes to Egypt as part of an ongoing military support package. It says in a July 30 statement that the aircraft, of the current Block 52 production variant, will be flown in from...

Lockheed Martin photograph A protective panel for Orion’s service module is jettisoned during testing at Lockheed Martin’s Sunnyvale, California facility. This test series evaluated design changes to the spacecraft’s fair...

Northrop Grumman has awarded the first Australian supplier contract for the U.S. Navy’s MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system initial production lot to Ferra Engineering. Brisbane-based Ferra Engineering will manufacture mechanical sub-assemblies for the first four Triton air vehicles including structural components. “At Northrop Grumman it’s very important to not only develop...

Boeing photograph The CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter commonly known as the “Phrog,” is set to retire and to be flown one last time by Reserve Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron (HMM) 774 on Aug. 1. The CH-46 Sea Knight is a med...

Under the terms of its latest contract, Insitu will build six RQ-21A Blackjack systems for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The $78-million Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems Lot IV Low Rate Initial Production contract is the latest event in the program’s progression toward the Initial Operational Test and Evaluation phase. “This award will...

Information

Publisher

Aerotech News and Review is published every Friday serving the aerospace and defense industry of Southern California, Nevada and Arizona. News and ad copy deadline is noon on the Tuesday prior to publication. The publisher assumes no responsibility for error in ads other than space used.

Disclaimer

The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, or Aerotech News and Review, Inc., of the products or services advertised.